IS it a crime for sexual minorities to show patriotism for Malaysia, activist Nisha Ayub asked amid furore from the LGBT community over the removal of her and another activist’s portraits from a photography exhibition at the ongoing George Town Festival 2018 in Penang.

NIsha and activist Pang Khee Teik’s portraits, in which they posed with the Jalur Gemilang, were removed from the Stripes and Strokes exhibition on “instruction”, the Malay Mail reported earlier today.

The exhibition’s sponsor, Vinod Shekar, said he never expected this to happen in the “new Malaysia” under Pakatan Harapan.

It is not clear yet which authority instructed the removal.

Nisha in a Facebook post over the incident said she was feeling “emotional thinking about the future of our new Malaysia”.

“It’s the message that is being spread to the public and to all marginalised community in Malaysia that saddens me. 

“They talk about rights as a citizen of Malaysia but yet they are denying people like me to even express our love to our own country. What is happening to our New Malaysia ? Is that what we the marginalised community voted for ? They talk about sensitivity of certain group of people but what about sensitivity of others? Aren’t we apart of the system?

“As a Malaysian, I want to know where do people like me fit in this New Malaysia that most of us voted for,” said Nisha, the first transgender woman to receive the International Women of Courage Award in 2016.

Pang’s and Nisha’s pictures were alongside those of DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang and others, such as lawyers and activists Ambiga Sreenevasan and Siti Kasim.

The photographs were taken by Mooreyameen Mohamad and the exhibition runs from August 4 to September at the annual arts and culture festival in Penang. It also coincides with Malaysia’s 61st Merdeka celebrations.

In her portrait, Nisha is holding the national flag while Pang is posing with the Jalur Gemilang draped around the shoulders while clutching a LGBT rainbow flag.

Nisha had not asked to be included in the exhibition but was “glad and proud” to be part of it to show her pride at being Malaysian.

“But now i feel as if I’m not welcomed anymore to be in the country where I’m born in,” she added.

Actress and theatre personality Jo Kukathas also wrote on Facebook that others who were featured in the exhibition should show an act of solidarity by requesting the removal of their portraits.

“I voted for a new Malaysia – not this one. Don’t go round bullying photographers and festival organisers. And don’t bully us,” she said.

Pang, who is currently overseas at a conference, wrote on Sunday about the attacks and threats received when portraits of him, Nisha and Siti were posted online on the George Town Festival page.

He said in a span of about five hours, more than 1,000 comments were posted in response to the portraits and these were mostly homophobic, transphobic and misogynist, including a threat to shoot him.

Nisha said she had had many chances to leave Malaysia after being persecuted as a transwoman but chose to stay and work towards making life better for minorities.

“As a citizen of Malaysia, I want to know the stand of our New Malaysia towards minorities like us . They can burn or even throw my picture but they cannot take my love to my country where i have been living since I was born till today.” – August 8, 2018.